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<title>and all our tender heartbeats by someawkwardprose</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28434270">and all our tender heartbeats</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/someawkwardprose/pseuds/someawkwardprose'>someawkwardprose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>fragments (snippets from the blue) [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Torchwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:22:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28434270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/someawkwardprose/pseuds/someawkwardprose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has a realisation; this is the aftermath.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>fragments (snippets from the blue) [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2080962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and all our tender heartbeats</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>moving tumblr snippets onto ao3, this was originally posted <a href="https://someawkwardprose.tumblr.com/post/632774597749686272/jackianto-hurtcomfort-teen-jack-isnt-a">here</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Jack says, sitting on the edge of the bed.</p>
<p>“I know, Jack,” Ianto’s voice is patient, even through the closed bathroom door.</p>
<p>“I trust you with - not my life, but my secrets.” He knows Ianto knows what means more.</p>
<p>“I know, Jack.” The water starts running, and the sound of the electric toothbrush comes through.</p>
<p>“I know you - care. About me,” Jack says, because he won’t put words in Ianto’s mouth, not when Jack can’t even get the words out himself. They both know, without saying it, and that’s enough.</p>
<p>Ianto spits in the sinks, and the tap runs again, before the door opens. His - partner, boyfriend, whatever you want to call it - is only wearing his pyjama bottoms, his hair soft and ungelled and curling a little at his ears. There are two lovebites visible - one, on his hip, barely peeking over the low slung pants; the other on his throat from when Jack was teasing him when he was on the phone. His feet are bare, and he looks open. Soft. Vulnerable. All of Jack’s weakspots, wrapped in one dangerous, but all too mortal, package.</p>
<p>“I know, Jack,” Ianto says, and turns the bathroom light off, crawling into the bed and wrapping his arms around Jack’s shoulders from behind. He presses a kiss to Jack’s neck. “It’s okay.”</p>
<p>“It’s not, though.” Because Jack is a hypocrite. For the first time in his life he finally understands why the 21st century has all those hang ups about monogamy, why people get jealous.</p>
<p>Because Ianto’s first - boyfriend, friend, first <em>everything</em>, had bumped into him. And it was funny, at first, and cute, because Jack loved it when Ianto got embarrassed, when he flustered. He loved it right up until it was someone he didn’t know, didn’t trust, and someone who had a history with Ianto that Jack didn’t know about. Had never asked about, he thought bitterly.</p>
<p>Someone who had seen Ianto before Torchwood broke him. Someone who’d seen Ianto before he was Jack’s.</p>
<p>If it had been Tosh, or Owen, or Gwen - he would have found it hot. Hell, if it had been a stranger, he would have seen if Ianto would want to bring them home.</p>
<p>But it was Ianto’s ex who’d danced with him at the club, and that - that was the problem.</p>
<p>“I’m acting like you cavemen,” he murmurs, leaning back into Ianto’s embrace.</p>
<p>“I’ll forgive it,” Ianto whispers, lips almost brushing Jack’s ear, and it still made him shiver, made his stomach flutter with anticipation. What this man could do to him, Jack thinks, should be terrifying.</p>
<p>But it was Ianto, and Ianto was the only person on Earth who knew who Jack was, who looked at his tainted, blackened heart, and forgave him; Ianto Jones, who had blood on his hands, but still did his best to be kind, even though he wasn’t always very good at it. Quiet, reserved, broken Ianto, who helped put the pieces of Jack back together again.</p>
<p>Jack leans back, tilting his head to catch Ianto’s lips with his own, and Ianto allowed it, allowed Jack to pull him round till he was straddling Jack’s thighs. He pours every ounce of what he couldn’t say into the kiss, and by the way Ianto’s fingers tightened in his hair, he understood.</p>
<p>When they break for air, Jack rests their foreheads together. “I trust you.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Ianto murmurs, and Jack thinks they don’t need to say it.</p>
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